Print receiving tray design

ABSTRACT

The prints discharged from a reprographic machine are guided by and stacked on a substantially horizontal arm that is located somewhat above the longitudinal center of an inclined print receiving tray. The arm consists of a tubular inner member extending from the center of a box-like base member, and a rodlike outer member telescoped in the tubular member for longitudinal adjustment. The rod-like member is provided with a flattened upstanding stop for the sheets, and is secured in adjusted position by a thumbscrew in the under-wall of the tubular member. The outer end of the tray is open, and the tray may be provided with an auxiliary sheet guide member on the floor of the tray, having upstanding end walls that are spaced with respect to each other to accept sheets of different widths less than that of the side walls of the tray itself.

United States Patent Matwey 1 Apr. 25, 1972 [54] PRINT RECEIVING TRAY DESIGN Primary Examiner-Joseph Wegbreit [72] Inventor Paul Matwey Binghamton N Y Attorney-Walter C. Kehm and Martin Smolowitz [73] Assignee: GAF Corporation, New York, NY. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed; Au 20, 1970 The prints discharged from a reprographic machine are guided by and stacked on a substantially horizontal arm that is I 21 I APPI' 65,615 located somewhat above the longitudinal center of an inclined print receiving tray. The arm consists of a tubular inner [52] US. Cl. ..271/86 member extending from h center ofa box'like base member- [51] In v "365}. 31/20 and a rod-like outer member telescoped in the tubular [58] Field of Search .1271 I86 61 member mgimdina' adjustment The Nike member is provided with a flattened upstanding stop for the sheets, and is f d secured in adjusted position by a thumbscrew in the under- [56] Re erences Cue wall of the tubular member. The outer end of the tray is open, UNITED STATES PATENTS and the tray may be provided with an auxiliary: sheet guide member on the floor of the tray, having upstanding end walls 1,210,465 1/1917 Guhelman ..271/86 X that are Spaced with respect to each other to accept sheets f 2,937,021 5/1960 Keil ..271/ different widths less than that of the side walls of the tray itl,245,682 11/1917 Clark et al. ..271/86 lf 1,086,353 2/1914 Dick 271/86 3 Claims, 1 Drawlng Figure PATENTEmPnzsmz 3,658,323

INVENTOR. BY PAuL. MM H 1 PRINT RECEIVING TRAY DESIGN This invention relates to reprographic and other paper sheet processing machines, but more particularly to the print or document receiving trays at the print or document exit thereof.

Downwardly tilted print receiving trays located at the print exit of reprographic machines are well known. However, such trays in the past were designed to accept the sheet copies or prints dischargedby the machine as if they were flat. As a matter of fact a considerable number of such machines discharge prints that are'somewhat curled, or tend to curl. This results in serious stacking as well as handling problems of such prints in the tray due to twisting and rolling of the prints.

The main object of this invention is to solve such problems by providing a novel tray device for guiding and stacking the prints or documents as they exit from a reprographic machine. The so stacked prints, as a result, may be conveniently retrieved by the person operating any type of reprographic or paper print processing machine.

According to the invention an elongated box-like base member compsoed of sheet metal, for example, is mounted on and horizontally between the side walls of the reprographic machines. The base-member is located directly under exit rollers by which the prints are discharged from the body of the machine. An arm extends substantially horizontally from the center of the base member in the direction of exit of the prints. Such arm comprises an upstanding stop at the outer end thereof, the longitudinal limit of which is adjustable with respect to the base for accepting prints of different lengths.

A tray having side walls but no front wall is located under the arm for receiving the lateral edge portions of the prints as they drape themselves in a stack on the arm. Horizontal wings project outwardly from the tray side walls and are provided with downwardly extruding flanges which are secured to the side walls of the machine cabinet. For accepting prints more narrow thant that of the tray per se, the floor of the tray has removably mounted in the central position thereof an auxiliary member having a central base position provided with raised laterally extending floor positions which terminate in upstanding flanges. The latter constitute inner side walls for receiving the side edge portions of relatively narrow prints.

As the documents or prints exit from the machine they are guided thereon by the arm and stack themselves one on top of the other. The resulting stack then is easily removed by the operator of the machine. The device can stack a large quantity of documents or prints, and uniformly stacks them in the same way, one stack after another.

In the drawing:

The single FIGURE is an exploded view in perspective of a tray device illustrative of the invention.

As shown in the drawing, a horizontal box-like base member of sheet metal comprises end walls 12 that are mounted between the side wall panels 14 of a reprographic machine 16. The base 10is located under exit roller 18,18 from between which the prints or documents 20 are discharged by the machine 16. The base 10 has an inclined flange 22 and a top 24 over which the prints 20 pass as they exit from the rollers 18,18. The base 10 also comprises a vertical wall 26 to the center of which the inner end of a substantially horizontal arm 28 is secured.

The arm 28 consists of a tubular inner member 30 and a rod-like outer member 32 that is telescoped in such tubular member 3 0 The rod-like member is provided with a flattened end position 34 having an upturned flange 36 constituting an outer stop for the sheets or documents 20 which drape themselves over the arm 28 in a stack as they exit from the machine 16. The effective oute position of the stop 36 with respect to the base wall 26 is adjustable by sliding the rod 32 longitudinally in the tube 30. such position is obtained in accordance with the length of the sheets 20 being processed, the stop 36 is secured in such position by tightening a thumbscrew 38 threaded to the under-wall of the tube 31).

Located under the arm 28 is a tray 40 comprising a floor 42 from which sidewalls 44, 44 extend upwardly. Wings 46, 46 project horizontally from the side walls 44, 44 and have downtumed flanges 47, 47 which are secured to the side wall panels 14, 14 of the machine 16. For narrow sheets 20 the floor 42 of the tray 40 is provided with an optional auxiliary sheet receiving member 48 consisting of a central flat base portion 50 having elevated horizontal floor portions 52, 52 projecting laterally of such central base portion 50. The elevated floor portions 52, 52 terminate in upstanding flanges 54, 54 constituting side wall portions for receiving narrow sheet lateral edge portions. For wider sheets the tray member 48 may be removed. For even more narrow sheets the effective width of the member 5 may be made adjustable, or a similar but more narrow auxiliary member may be used. In any case the outer end of the tray 40 is open, the outer ends of the sheet being caught and vertically stacked by the stop 36 on the outer end of arm 28. For efficient and smooth operation of the device, arm 28 as well as tray 40 are tilted downwardly somewhat from the level of the base 26.

The arm 30 guides the first sheet 20 as it exits from the machine 16 until it reaches the stop 35, and the lateral edges of such sheet 20 come to rest in tray 40. The arm 28 is located above the center of tray 40 so that the sheet 20 is allowed to curve about the arm 28. This prevents the print or document 20 from rolling or twisting as it is discharged from the machine 16. The vertical side walls 44, 44 of the tray 40 also prevent the print 20 from being dislodges from the tray 40.

The stop 36 is adjustable to position documents or prints 20 of various lengths on the device. The width of the stop 36 is such that the prints 20 center themselves on the stop 36 as the leading edge strikes such stop 36. The optional auxiliary tray member 48 may be secured to the floor 42 thereof by a squeeze release latch 56.

Advantages of the invention include: 1) ability to stack a large number of documents; 2) the documents are easily retrieved by the operator; 3) repeatability of stacking documents uniformly; 4) handles prints that tend to curl without objectionable twisting and/or rolling thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved print receiving device for reprographic machines, including a tray carried by said machine having side walls and an open outer end, and

an arm extending outwardly from the machine above the center of said tray between said side walls,

said arm having a stop at the outer end thereof for holding prints received by said arm from the machine in a substantially vertical stack with the aid of said tray side walls,

whereby prints tending to curl are prevented from undesirable rolling or twisting by the device the improvement comprising an elongated member carried by a horizontal elongated box-like base member having end walls adapted to be mounted on and between the side wall panels of the cabinet of the machine, directly under print discharge rolls from which the prints exit from such machine, and said tray comprises horizontal wings extending outwardly from the side walls thereof, which tray side walls are also adapted to be mounted on and between said side -'wall panels below said arm, and adjacent the inner ends thereof.

2. The invention as defined by claim 1, in which said arm consists of an inner tubular member,

a rod-like outer member telescoped in said tubular member and havinga flattened upturned flange constituting said stop, and

a thumbscrew threaded to the under wall of said tubular member for securing said rod-like member with said stop in a desired position which depends upon the length of the prints held thereby.

3. The invention as defined by claim 2, including an auxiliary tray member removably mounted on the floor of said tray, i

said member having elevated substantially horizontal lateral portions provided with upturned flanges constituting side walls for guiding prints that are more narrow in width than that of the side walls of the tray itself 

1. An improved print receiving device for reprographic machines, including a tray carried by said machine having side walls and an open outer end, and an arm extending outwardly from the machine above the center of said tray between said side walls, said arm having a stop at the outer end thereof for holding prints received by said arm from the machine in a substantially vertical stack with the aid of said tray side walls, whereby prints tending to curl are prevented from undesirable rolling or twisting by the device the improvement comprising an elongated member carried by a horizontal elongated box-like base member having end walls adapted to be mounted on and between the side wall panels of the cabinet of the machine, directly under print discharge rolls from which the prints exit from such machine, and said tray comprises horizontal wings extending outwardly from the side walls thereof, which tray side walls are also adapted to be mounted on and between said side wall panels below said arm, and adjacent the inner ends thereof.
 2. The invention as defined by claim 1, in which said arm consists of an inner tubular member, a rod-like outer member telescoped in said tubular member and having a flattened upturned flange constituting said stop, and a thumbscrew threaded to the under wall of said tubular member for securing said rod-like member with said stop in a desired position which depends upon the length of the prints held thereby.
 3. The invention as defined by claim 2, including an auxiliary tray member removably mounted on the floor of said tray, said member having elevated substantially horizontal lateral portions provided with upturned flanges constituting side walls for guiding prints that are more narrow in width than that of the side walls of the tray itself. 